By Leah Douglas
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed its version of a five-year farm bill after stripping a provision opposed by the "Make America Healthy Again" movement that would have blocked some lawsuits against pesticide makers.
The House passage shows progress for the long-stalled, sweeping legislation, which funds agricultural and food aid programs, but it will still need to pass the Senate before it can advance to President Donald Trump's desk.
Historically bipartisan, the farm bill has faced hurdles since the prior bill expired in 2023, as Republicans and Democrats in both chambers battle over its provisions, which range from farm subsidies to food stamps.
The House version passed on Thursday extends much of the framework of the prior bill with some changes, like maintaining cuts to the food stamp program included in Trump's tax and spending bill passed last year.
The bill passed by 224 votes to 200, with Republicans picking up 14 Democratic votes.
"It is clearer every day that farm country needs updated policy that reflects current challenges, and the 2026 farm bill fills that gap," said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn 'GT' Thompson in a statement.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman said in a statement that he would release that chamber's farm bill text in the coming weeks.
FARMERS UNDER STRAIN
Farm groups largely cheered the passage of the bill, which they said could provide some stability for farmers facing the pressures of higher fuel and fertilizer costs from the U.S. war in Iran.
"Important updates to research and conservation, as well as increased loan limits and clarity on interstate commerce, will help farmers survive today’s challenges and give them the tools to thrive in the future," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall in a statement.
But some Democrats argued the bill did not go far enough for farmers.
"The so-called farm bill that passed the House today does nothing to resolve high input costs, lost markets, surging food prices or provide a single penny in economic assistance to struggling family farmers," said Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee.
Anti-hunger groups criticized the bill for failing to overturn $187 billion in cuts to SNAP passed in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
The bill did not include a provision backed by some Republican legislators to allow year-round sales of the higher-ethanol gasoline blend E15. The House is expected to vote on a standalone E15 bill on May 13.
A MAHA VICTORY
The bill also did not include a provision that would have shielded pesticide companies from some lawsuits over the safety of their products, after MAHA activists lobbied aggressively against the provision ahead of the vote.
Many supporters of MAHA, which backs Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., oppose pesticide use on food crops.
Hundreds of MAHA activists rallied at the Supreme Court on Monday as pesticide maker Bayer appeared for oral arguments in its effort to end thousands of lawsuits that allege its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.
The amendment passed by 280 votes to 142, with bipartisan support.
"Lawmakers caved to anti-science MAHA activists instead of standing with those who grow our food," said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, executive director of the Bayer-backed Modern Ag Alliance, in a statement.
(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci )
